


Koi No Yokan

by Prince_Hel



Category: Carol (2015), The Price of Salt - Patricia Highsmith
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 15:04:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14621223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_Hel/pseuds/Prince_Hel
Summary: Divorced and straight (as far as she knows) Carol Aird has a blind date. With a woman.





	Koi No Yokan

**Author's Note:**

> **Koi No Yokan**.- Japanese word. The feeling you have when you first meet someone and you know that falling in love with this person is inevitable. It differs from “love at first sight” because you are not yet in love, but you are certain that you soon will be in love with this person.

When Carol stepped inside the fancy and expensive restaurant her best friend had mentioned, she felt a wave of incredulity that made her stop and look behind, contemplating the door she had gone through as if it was a fountain in the desert. She couldn’t believe that she had been weak enough to allow herself to been in such position. What was wrong in not showing any kind of interest to date someone one year and a half after her divorce? She was fine without the complications that entailed. But since Abby got married, she had devoted herself to find the one for Carol.

In Carol’s opinion, it had more to do with the fact that Abby felt guilty, thinking that she was neglecting her now that she had a life beyond her friend after years of being only the two of them. Even when Carol was married, she spent more time with Abby than with her husband. And she was sincerely nothing but thrilled for her friend’s happiness ─ she had seen the love story from the very beginning, only needing a few moments with the couple to know they were meant to be.

However, she never felt the desire to have what they had. She never felt something was missing but when Abby came and told her to do this for her, as a favor, for some reason Carol couldn’t refuse. Not after Abby had been her rock during her unpleasant divorce. Besides, she had to see the bright side since it was a free dinner because her friend was paying for everything ─ a dinner with a complete stranger because the cherry on top was that this was a blind date, but a free dinner nevertheless. Carol would have believed that Abby was aware of her desire to not have anything to do with a man ever again but she supposed she should give her friend a break since she was still high from her honeymoon.

Sighing resignedly, Carol walked towards the host, sliding a hand over her red dress, smoothing an invisible wrinkle. “Hello.” She smiled politely at the young man though she couldn’t conceal her discomfort entirely. “I have a reservation under the name of Abby Gerhard?” she asked, part of her hoping that the answer would be a ‘no’.

The cute dark blond lowered his gaze to the agenda, his right hand holding a pen, quickly moving top-down, suddenly stopping and smiling. “Yes, right here. A reservation for two. Your date is already here.”

‘“Really?” In that moment Carol’s hopes about being stood up were gone. She had even arrived fifteen minutes late on purpose. “Great,” she mumbled, her tone clearly not agreeing with her words. “Could you do me a favor? Can you point to the table’s direction?”

It must be a normal petition because the man smirked. “Blind date, huh?” He turned his body enough to look at the tables but still keeping Carol in his perspective. “Right there,” he discretely pointed to his left.

The restaurant wasn’t too overcrowded which Carol considered something good because there wouldn’t be many eyes on her if she ever dared to make a scene like suddenly leaving. The host had pointed towards the booths that were in a corner, a place that gave a little bit more of privacy than the tables right in the middle. Carol’s gaze immediately fell in a dressed up man with white hair that was holding a cup of wine, swirling it with his hand, that was alone but then she realized, when a waiter came to pick them up, that there were empty dishes on the table. Seconds later, a woman around her age, joined him, smiling at him before kissing his cheek.

There was another booth occupied but Carol couldn’t see the person in it properly because they weren’t sitting at the edge of the seat (like the man had been before he stood up so the woman could slide first), almost as they didn’t want to be seen. She could only see dark hair that disappeared thanks to the backrest. There was nobody else alone in that direction so she supposed that was her date. Before Carol could move, the person lifted a hand to brush their hair behind their ear in such a soft and feminine gesture that distracted Carol, taking her a moment to realize why and when she did, she froze when it dawned upon her.

Ignoring the host that asked her to follow him, she dug into her purse, reaching for her cell phone. She was frowning as she waited for the call to connect, speaking the moment she heard the click, not giving her friend the chance to greet her. “What the hell, Abby?!”

“ _Hello to you too._ ” There was a trace of amusement in her voice, making obvious that she had been expecting this.

“You fixed me up with a woman. A woman,” she raised her voice in the last word.

“ _I’m well aware of it, Carol, my beautiful wife and I planned everything,_ ” she said nonchalantly.

“Don’t you think it was something worth mentioning?! Especially when I’m not interested in women?” she was hissing, not wanting to draw unwanted attention.

“ _Aren’t you though?_ ” she asked daringly. Carol was suddenly hit with memories of the times she stared at women, always claiming that she was admiring their outfits. But the fact that she could admire a woman’s beauty didn’t mean she wanted to date one. “ _Look, it’s just a dinner. She’s Gen’s friend and a nice person, I’m sure that even if you don’t feel interested in her in that way, you would have a lovely time._ ” Carol grunted. “ _You don’t want an innocent person to be stood up, right?_ ”

“I genuinely hate you right now, Abigail. I do.” Abby’s laugh made her frown even more but her friend had used the right weapon against Carol. Her manners wouldn’t allow her to affect the other person, especially when she was a victim too. “At least she’s expecting a woman?” she caved, closing her eyes, rubbing her temples with her free hand.

“ _She is. Just do me a favor …_ ” her tone turned affectionate.

“I’m still in the middle of the first favor you asked me,” Carol cut her off annoyed.

“ _I know but this is not entirely for my benefit. By the end of the date, just be direct if you are not interested in her, please?_ ” she sounded sincerely concerned as if she already knew that the other woman would be interested in Carol.

“God, I can’t believe you are making me going through this.” Her eyes flew open. “Wait a minute. Gen’s friend? Does that mean she has her age?” Abby mumbled something that Carol couldn’t catch. “What?”

“ _She’s younger than her,_ ” she admitted begrudgingly.

“For fuck’s sake, Abby!” She rubbed her forehead.

“ _It’s just a few years!_ ” she said in her defense.

“How many?” Carol gritted her teeth.

“ _Don’t you think this is a conversation you should have with her?_ ” she tried to change her friend’s attention where it matters the most.

“How many, Abby?” she repeated with annoyance.

“Three …” it was barely a whisper but Carol heard it, making her close her eyes once again.

She wasn’t self-conscious when it came to the age difference between her and Genevieve because it wasn’t her concern since she wasn’t the one dating her but now she was going to spend time with someone who was expecting some sort of connection between the two of them. Not only she was going to be disappointed in that way but she was also going to be faced with a woman thirteen years older than her. Why would a thirty-year-old be interested in a forty-some old woman? Carol ended up hanging up without any other word, feeling more and more angry with Abby because this wasn’t fair for the poor girl. The worst part was that it was on her to be the villain of the story.

Carol’s cell phone rang almost immediately after hanging up but she ignored the call after seeing it was Abby. Taking a deep breath, she walked back to the host, who was doing a terrible job at trying to hide his curiosity. “I’m sorry for that.” She forced a smile. “I’m ready now.” It was a lie but she supposed it was better to deal with this once and for all.

The man looked incredulous but he nodded nevertheless, taking two menus that he wrapped with one arm over his chest as he gestured to Carol to follow him with his other arm. As they were getting closer to the booth, Carol felt the distress crawling upon her. This wasn’t fair, not for her and much less for the other woman. Abby was going to owe her something huge after this mess. The host turned in Carol’s direction with a gentle smile when they arrived. Sideways, Carol saw the seated woman turning her head in direction of the newcomers but she was currently thanking the man to divert her attention right away.

Once Carol finally turned her head towards her ‘date’, everything started to feel like it was moving in slow motion even when the moment only lasted a few seconds. She was aware of the green eyes roaming fleetingly over her body before reaching her face and locking with Carol’s, eyes that turned shy and widened in surprise at what she saw, lips parting slightly to magnify the awestruck expression that made Carol’s heart flutter while s soft blush covered the young woman’s cheeks as if she was embarrassed to be discovered looking.

Carol didn’t share the same discretion. After their eye contact, she cast her eyes down, gazing at the black turtleneck elbow-height sleeves dress. Even when she couldn’t see it, Carol would bet that the skirt was loose and she wondered how such chaste outfit could be so alluring. Surprising herself, a soft smile curved her lips as she made eye contact again, her smile turning into a full grin when the blush of the woman deepened. Only the weight of the host’s gaze on her put Carol in motion, making her take a seat in front of her companion after taking her coat off (she wasn’t sure if the gasp she heard had been a crazy idea of her or a reality) placing her belongings next to her, towards the side of the wall. The women remain silent, taking the menus when they were offered to them, thanking softly the man before he retired.

Carol opened hers on instinct but the stranger placed hers on the table, clearing her throat. “Uhm, hi?”

Carol glanced up at her without moving her head when she listened the hesitant but interested voice addressing her. “Right, I suppose it makes sense to introduce us first.” Copying the other woman, she placed her menu on the table. “I’m Carol.”

“I know who you are,” she blurted without thinking and her blush returned when Carol raised a curious eyebrow. “I mean … moments before you arrived I got a text message and-”

“Abby or Gen?” she rolled her eyes as she asked.

“Abby. She didn’t say much but she mentioned your name.” She lowered her head for a moment. “You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to,” she whispered, trying not to show her disappointment.

There was a pause whilst Carol contemplate her possibilities. “What’s your name?”

It took her a moment to answer, not expecting that. “Therese. But my friends call me Terry.”

Carol wrinkled her nose. “I don’t understand why people would butcher a sophisticated name like yours.” Therese looked away for a moment, not able to hold the intensity of Carol’s eyes. “Therese,” she added for good measure, wanting to show her something even though she had no idea what it was but she supposed it worked when she saw the other woman shuddering.

“Nobody had said my name like that.” With the background sound, it was a miracle Carol was able to hear her.

“Like what?” She tilted her head with interest.

“Just like … like that.” She brushed her hair behind her ear once again. It was easy to deduce that it was a gesture she often did when she was nervous.

Carol was convinced that what Therese wanted to say was something according to the lines of: ‘like it’s something precious’ which tempted her to reach and place a hand over hers. She blinked, confused by the sudden need. “What did Abby tell you?”

Therese made a motion to reach for her purse which was next to her, to pull her cell phone out and show her but she thought it was a better idea to have a verbal conversation. “She only said and I quote: Carol might be a little upset when she shows up.” She smiled a bit, seeming unsure. “I was able to read the missing ‘if she shows up at all’ though.”

Carol chuckled. “I wouldn’t have done that, you are an innocent in my friend’s plotting.”

“But I was serious, you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. Something tells me that you are more innocent than me.” Before Carol had a chance to answer, to even think about the spoken words, a waiter arrived, ready to take their order. Therese looked down at the table as she traced the border of the menu with her fingertips.

Carol was sure that she hadn’t pondered enough but that didn’t stop her from opening her mouth. “We would like a bottle of your finest wine.” She didn’t look at the man as she addresses him, observing Therese sharply raising her head, her lips once again parting slightly in surprised but her eyes were shining hopefully. Carol smiled softly at her, hoping it was enough to reassure her. “And I will have the Zillion Dollar Lobster Frittata.” She might not be entirely pissed at Abby like she was before looking at the breathtaking woman that was in front of her but she wouldn’t make her friend forget what she had done just like that.

Therese’s heart was doing all kind of somersaults in her chest. She had only agreed to go on a blind date due to Abby’s and Genevieve’s insistence which perhaps didn’t say the best of her since she hadn't known them for a long time to have this kind of trust. If she was honest, Therese didn’t have much hope to be paired with someone she would find interesting ─ it wasn’t something easy to achieve with her and she was sure that they (even when she knew their intentions were nothing but good) didn’t have a clue about her likes, for the simple fact that not even herself could tell and she had been dreading this day during all week. But the moment she saw Carol, all the regret she had been feeling since she allowed them to move forward with the idea, vanished entirely because how could it be possible to be indifferent towards this magnificent creature that made her feel like the world would turn upside down at any moment?

There was a soft clearing of a throat that made Therese react, causing her to blush when she realized the waiter was looking expectantly at her. She reached for the menu, her eyes not really taking the words she was seeing. “Uhm, I will have …” She glanced at Carol who was still looking at her, her smile growing wider when their eyes locked before winking. “I will have the same,” she said weakly, feeling like a small kid that couldn’t control her flustering.

Once alone, Carol looked to the side, anyone would think that she was looking the place but she wasn’t looking anything in particular. her fingers drumming on the table. Therese didn’t waste her opportunity to admire her. “I’m going to be honest with you.” She didn’t turn to look at her. “I didn’t know my friend was fixing me up with a woman because I’ve never demonstrated an interest of that kind towards them.” Sideways, she could see Therese squirming. “But,” she now made eye contact, “it looks like my best friend knows me better than myself because I’m delighted it’s you and not some man.”

Therese was ready to make a sacrifice to whatever god was necessary after those words. She couldn't resist the toothy smile that bloomed from her lips, drawing Carol’s eyes to her mouth. The woman held her breath as she felt her heart skipping a beat ─ she had never seen a smile that was able to show the raw emotions a person was currently feeling, at least not in an adult. Carol couldn’t help but wrinkle her brow in concern when Therese’s smile started to vanish, her mind quickly working in a way to maintain such captivating image.

“Uhm, I- I think I better ask this question just to have things clear because you are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen and it would be so easy to fall for you.” This time when she brushed her hair behind her ears, she used both hands, resting them on the table afterwards, her eyes pinned on them. “And I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable in any way but it’s very likely that I won’t be able to conceal that I find you attractive-” she stopped talking when she felt Carol’s hand over hers, shyly lifting her head in her direction.

Therese was compensated with a bright smile, a little bit mischievous. “You are right, it’s fair to make things … straight.” Both chuckled, the young woman relaxing though it was hard when Carol moistened her lips with her tongue. “This is a date, Therese, don’t even think otherwise. I’m more than interested in getting to know you.” Her words were filled with enticement. “Because you are not the only one who finds their companion attractive.” She caressed the skin under her hand with her thumb, smiling when the blush she was starting to find adorable, appeared one more time, accompanied with that breathtaking smile that was now at top of the list of her favorite things.


End file.
